De man van Julie Goodyear heeft zijn liefdesverdriet onthuld toen hij zag hoe zijn vrouw ‘langzaam wegebde’ tijdens haar strijd tegen dementie.

De actrice, 81, maakte in juni vorig jaar samen met haar man haar verwoestende diagnose bekend Scott Brand, 55, zei destijds dat ze ‘in het reine waren gekomen’ met het ‘hartverscheurende’ nieuws.

Julia is beroemd vanwege het spelen van luipaardprintminnende Rovers Return hospita Bet Lynch in Coronation Street gedurende meer dan 25 jaar, beginnend in de rol in 1966.

Ze verliet de kasseien in november 2003 en kreeg in 1996 een MBE voor haar verdiensten op het gebied van drama.

Scott opende de pijn van het zien hoe zijn vrouw achteruitging en gaf toe dat ze haar kenmerkende luipaardprint-outfits en kleurrijke lippenstiften had opgegeven.

Spreken met De spiegelhij zei: ‘Ik mis de vrolijke vrouw die Julie altijd was geweest – de meer dan levensgrote persoonlijkheid die overal waar ze kwam opfleurde, en de glimlach die elke kamer verlichtte. Dit alles vervaagt nu langzaam en het is voor mij buitengewoon pijnlijk om deze achteruitgang te zien.’

Hij voegde eraan toe: ‘Julie is altijd extreem glamoureus geweest en gaat nergens heen zonder haar make-up. Maar nu zijn de lippenstift en de make-up ongedragen en is kleding niet meer interessant, vooral de luipaardprint.’

Scott zei dat hij de activiteiten mist waar ze vroeger van genoten, zoals romantische maaltijden en lange wandelingen, waarbij het moeilijkste is dat hij niet meer samen op vakantie kan gaan.

Hij was openhartig over de ontberingen waarmee hij in het begin te maken kreeg als Julie’s enige verzorger, en gaf toe dat het ‘mijn dood’ was.

Scott, die zijn carrière opgaf om Julie’s fulltime verzorger te zijn, legde uit dat hij zich nu bewust is geworden van de kleine vrijheden die hij vroeger als vanzelfsprekend beschouwde.

Hij zei dat naar voetbal kijken met vrienden of iets gaan drinken geen opties meer zijn, omdat alles ver van tevoren moet worden gepland en hij altijd nuchter moet zijn voor het geval er een noodgeval is en hij moet rijden.

Hij zei: ‘Voor mij was het accepteren en verwerken van de diagnose het moeilijkste. In het begin weigerde ik enige steun te accepteren, omdat ik dacht dat ik het wel aankon, aangezien we altijd nogal privé-mensen zijn geweest.’

Scott besefte echter al snel dat hij hulp nodig had en gaf toe dat hij het ‘niet aankon’, terwijl hij voor het eerst de huishoudelijke zaken en financiën van Julie overnam.

Hij zei: ‘De zorg voor Julie is mijn prioriteit, maar mijn gezondheid werd aangetast en als alleenstaande verzorger had ik het gevoel dat het ‘mijn dood’ was. Het was alsof ik in een nieuwe wereld terechtkwam waarin ik alles alleen moest doen.’

Hij zei dat hij iedereen die een soortgelijke situatie doormaakt, zou adviseren om onmiddellijk hulp te aanvaarden, waarbij hij de Alzheimer’s Society een ‘reddingslijn’ noemde.

Scott legde uit dat de liefdadigheidsinstelling een dementieadviseur, Julie Mann, ter beschikking stelde die hen hielp hun zaken te regelen en het juiste zorgpakket en financiële rechten te krijgen, en zei dat ze hielp ‘zo’n last van onze schouders te nemen’.

Scott en Julie trouwden in 2007, nadat ze elkaar voor het eerst hadden ontmoet in 1996 toen hij gips afleverde in een huis dat ze aan het renoveren was.

Toen ze in 2013 in Piers Morgan’s Life Stories verscheen, onthulde ze dat hij haar elf jaar lang elke dag ten huwelijk vroeg voordat ze accepteerde.

Julie zei: ‘Misschien verleng ik zijn contract. Hij is de beste van een slecht stel geweest, echt waar.’ Op de vraag of ze gelukkig getrouwd was, antwoordde ze: ‘Heel erg.’

Ze trouwde in 1960 met haar eerste echtgenoot, Ray Sutcliffe, terwijl ze zwanger was van haar zoon Gary, van wie ze beviel toen ze nog maar 17 was.

Het huwelijk eindigde echter slechts drie jaar later toen haar man wegliep.

In 1973 trouwde ze met secretaris Tony Rudman, maar hij ging er vervolgens vandoor met zijn getuige op hun trouwdag, waardoor ze zo radeloos achterbleef dat ze een maand in een kliniek voor geestelijke gezondheidszorg doorbracht.

In 1979 kreeg Julie de diagnose baarmoederhalskanker en kreeg ze nog maar één jaar te leven, maar herstelde.

Vervolgens was ze tussen 1985 en 1987 slechts twee jaar getrouwd met luchtvaartdirecteur Richard Skrob.

Scott maakte afgelopen zomer het nieuws bekend dat bij Julie de diagnose dementie was gesteld en bracht een verklaring uit waarin stond: ‘Mijn lieve vrouw en ik hebben deze hartverscheurende diagnose moeten aanvaarden.

‘Helaas lijdt Julie al een tijdje aan vergeetachtigheid en hebben we medisch advies en hulp gezocht.

‘Maar we weten nu dat er geen hoop is op een ommekeer in de situatie – en dat haar toestand geleidelijk en misschien snel zal verslechteren.

‘We hebben besloten om de diagnose publiekelijk bekend te maken, omdat Julie nog steeds graag vrienden bezoekt en uit eten gaat.

‘Het is onvermijdelijk dat ze wordt herkend, en fans ontmoeten haar graag – en zij hen – maar ze kan in de war raken, vooral als ze moe is. Ik hoop dat mensen het zullen begrijpen.’

Julie blijft beschermheer van Willow Wood Hospice in Greater Manchester en heeft gezegd dat ze het prachtige werk van de hospices, die zo veel doen om patiënten en families met dementie te ondersteunen, in de kijker wil zetten.

In december 2020 bracht Julie hulde aan mede-soapactrice, EastEnders-ster Dame Barbara Windsor, die op 83-jarige leeftijd stierf na haar eigen strijd tegen de ziekte van Alzheimer.

Ze schreef op Facebook: ‘Gisteravond was zo verwoestend voor iedereen in de branche die ooit het geluk had Barbara te ontmoeten, laat staan ​​naast haar te werken.

‘Ze was een nationale schat. Dat woord wordt tegenwoordig te nonchalant rondgegooid. Maar bij Barbara was het goed en oprecht bedoeld. Gedachten zijn bij haar familie en vrienden.

‘Van de ene voormalige hospita naar de andere hef ik het glas op de enige echte en werkelijk onvervangbare Barbara Windsor.

‘De lach die je door de jaren heen hebt gegeven en het geweldige optreden dat je week in week uit in je pub in East End van Londen hebt uitgevoerd, leeft voort.’

Julie kwam voor het eerst bij Corrie in 1966 als barmeisje Bet, maar vertrok na advies van senior castlid Pat Phoenix – die Elsie Tanner speelde – om wat meer acteertraining te krijgen.

Nadat ze zich bij Oldham’s Repertory Theatre had aangesloten, keerde ze in 1970 terug en was 25 jaar lang een vaste waarde op de kasseien tot ze vertrok in 1995, toen 22 miljoen kijkers afstemden op haar laatste aflevering.

Julie maakte drie rendementen als Bet, eerst in 1999 voor de homevideo-spin-off The Rover Returns en vervolgens opnieuw in 2002 en in 2003 voor scènes die in Blackpool waren opgenomen als onderdeel van een verhaallijn waarin Liz McDonald en haar man Jim centraal stonden, die onlangs uit de gevangenis ontsnapt.

In 2012 verscheen ze op Celebrity Big Brother naast onder meer Julian Clary, MC Harvey, Martin Kemp en Coleen Nolan en eindigde op de zevende plaats.

Neem contact op met Alzheimer’s Society als u ondersteuning nodig heeft op 0333 150 3456 of ga naar alzheimers.org.uk

Kate Garraway today said goodbye to her beloved husband Derek Draper at his funeral with their 17-year-old daughter bravely carrying the coffin as her mother proudly watched on.

Family and friends gathered at the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Primrose Hill this morning for a service of remembrance after the New Labour lobbyist turned psychotherapist died aged 56.

Ms Garraway clutched the hands of her two children as they waited for the coffin to arrive outside the church, which was packed with some of Britain’s most famous people.

Kate’s teenage daughter Darcey was among the six pallbearers as her mother watched on. The GMB presenter tightly clutched her son William’s hand as they followed the coffin into the church. Members of Mr Draper’s family followed behind.

His death following a long battle with Covid-19 moved the nation and today’s funeral was packed with big names who were friends and colleagues of him and his wife.

Sir Elton John arrived at the packed north London church with his husband David Furnish after  Myleene Klass. Sir Tony Blair and Sir Keir Starmer were amongst the big names from the world of politics. Derek Draper worked for New Labour for many years, including for former boss Peter Mandelson, who also attended.

Kate’s past and present Good Morning Britain colleagues were also out in force to support her on a tragic day.  Ben Shephard and Susanna Reid were amongst the first to arrive followed by Piers Morgan and Charlotte Hawkins Fiona Phillips was seen in public with her ITV exec husband Martin Frizell for the first time since she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Labour leader Keir Starmer arrived after Ed Miliband and MP turned TV star Ed Balls also came to say farewell. 

Mr Draper was among the first in the UK to fall seriously ill with Covid-19 and was admitted to an intensive care unit as the country entered lockdown in March 2020. 

He was one of the country’s longest-suffering Covid patients after being in hospital but never fully recovered after the virus left long-lasting damage to his organs and meant he needed round-the-clock care. 

He suffered a heart attack before Christmas and never recovered. Kate revealed Derek died as she held his hand ‘throughout the last long hours and when he passed’ on January 3 aged 56 after suffering long-lasting symptoms from coronavirus.

The Good Morning Britain star, 56, announced the death of her husband of 18 years on Instagram and said: ‘Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life.’

Derek suffered a heart attack before Christmas following a long battle with Covid. 

Kate, who had two children with Derek, Darcey, 17, and their youngest, Billy, 11, said: ‘I’m sad to have to tell you all that my darling husband Derek has passed away.

‘Derek was surrounded by his family in his final days and I was by his side holding his hand throughout the last long hours and when he passed. I have so much more to say, and of course I will do so in due course, but for now I just want to thank all the medical teams who fought so hard to save him and to make his final moments as comfortable and dignified as possible’.

She added: ‘As some of you may know he has been critically ill following a cardiac arrest in early December which, because of the damage inflicted by Covid in March 2020, led to further complications.

‘Sending so much love and thanks to all of you who have so generously given our family so much support. Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love, I was so lucky to have you in my life.’

Mr Draper was a former researcher for Blairite Peter Mandelson who became a New Labour spin doctor and later retrained as a psychotherapist after a series of political and lobbying scandals. 

Former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown led tributes. Mr Brown tweeted: ‘So sad that after such a brave struggle Derek Draper has lost his life as a result of Covid. I will remember him as brilliant, creative and multitalented, and our thoughts are with Kate, Darcey and Billy. RIP Derek’.

He suffered a massive heart attack in December and MailOnline passed away in a North London hospital. Kate said that he died surrounded by family and his passing led to several friends and former colleagues breaking down on live TV when the sad news broke.

Derek had been plagued with health woes after contracting Covid in 2020 and suffered a cardiac arrest in early December, with Kate spending Christmas at hospital. Ms Garraway and Mr Draper married in 2005.

A prominent figure in New Labour in the 1990s, Mr Draper worked for Blairite Peter Mandelson and set up the Progress organisation with Liam Byrne, who went on to become an MP.

After he was embroiled in the so-called ‘cash-for-access’ scandal, dubbed ‘lobbygate’, he travelled to the United States, where he retrained as a psychotherapist.

In 2021, Ms Garraway won a prize at the National Television Awards for the documentary Finding Derek, about her family’s experience during the pandemic.

It detailed her husband’s treatment and his subsequent return to their family home.

In July 2022, Garraway confirmed Mr Draper had been readmitted to hospital and later that month it was reported that his condition had worsened.

His battle with the virus won much attention and support, including from former prime minister Boris Johnson and the royal family.

Former lobbyist and political adviser Mr Draper was part of one of Britain’s most prominent media power couples.

The New Labour spin doctor reached great heights of influence in the 1990s but became best known for his involvement in the ‘lobbygate’ scandal.

A former researcher for Blairite Peter Mandelson, Mr Draper became a director of lobbying firm GPC Market Access in 1996 and set up the New Labour organisation Progress with Liam Byrne, who went on to become an MP.

It was while working at GPC that Mr Draper was caught on tape boasting to an undercover journalist of his government connections.

In one of the first sleaze scandals to hit Tony Blair’s fledgling administration, he reportedly claimed: ‘There are 17 people who count in this government, and to say I am intimate with all of them is the understatement of the century.’

Mr Draper insisted he had done nothing wrong in the so-called ‘cash for access’ scandal dubbed ‘lobbygate’ but admitted he did have a ‘big mouth’.

The incident appeared to spell the end of any bigger political ambitions for the famously champagne-swilling New Labour stalwart and he travelled to the United States, where he trained as a psychotherapist.

In 2005, Mr Draper married Ms Garraway, the GMTV co-presenter who is now part of the Good Morning Britain team on ITV and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007 and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in November 2019.

In 2008 he returned to the Labour spotlight as the head of the website LabourList, a left-wing rival to online portals such as Conservative Home.

He hit the headlines again in 2009 and stepped down as editor of LabourList after email correspondence between him and Damian McBride, one of Gordon Brown’s key aides, was leaked.

In the emails, Mr McBride proposed a campaign of unfounded personal smears against senior Conservatives on a new blog called RedRag, an idea praised by Mr Draper as ‘absolutely, totally brilliant’.

In a resignation statement released to the Guardian, Mr Draper acknowledged that his continued presence at LabourList – which was originally set up to discuss serious policy ideas – was detracting from the website.

‘I regret ever receiving the infamous email and I regret my stupid, hasty reply. I should have said straight away that the idea was wrong,’ he said.

‘I do ask people to remember that its contents were never published by me, or anyone else, involved in the Labour Party and they would never have seen the light of day were it not for someone hacking into my emails and placing them into the public domain.

‘Because of that, a silly idea ultimately destined for the trash can became a national scandal.’

Mr Draper was once again consigned to the Labour wilderness and became chief executive of a leadership consultancy, compiling weekly emails summarising the best content for business and HR leaders.

In 2019 he announced he was resigning his Labour Party membership.

Mr Draper’s medical case attracted much media attention, partly because of his marriage to Ms Garraway, and partly because of the length of his hospital stay.

Some media reported that he had become the nation’s longest-suffering patient after spending 13 months in hospital.

In early July 2022, Ms Garraway disclosed that Derek had been readmitted to hospital and later that month dropped out of presenting Good Morning Britain as his condition worsened.

The following February, the ITV series Kate Garraway: Caring for Derek aired on ITV, and documented Draper’s arrival home from the hospital while also following Garraway as she navigated the ‘myriad challenges of the social care system and its complexities’.

Mr Draper was photographed by his wife’s side in June, despite being in and out of hospital, when she collected her MBE from the Prince of Wales in an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.

In December, The Sun reported that Mr Draper had ‘suffered a massive heart attack’ and said Garraway was keeping a 24/7 vigil by his bedside.

Journaliste en omroeper Fiona Phillips heeft aangekondigd dat ze lijdt aan de ziekte van Alzheimer op slechts 62-jarige leeftijd, zoals ze de wereld vertelde: ‘Het verwoestte mijn familie, nu is het voor mij gekomen’.

De verwoestende dementieziekte doodde haar beide ouders, en de schrijver heeft nu onthuld dat ook zij de ‘hartverscheurende’ diagnose heeft gekregen.

Mevrouw Phillips vertelde de Mirror dat ze het nieuws ongeveer een jaar geleden had ontvangen, na maandenlang last te hebben gehad van hersenmist en angst.

De voormalige ontbijt-tv-presentator zei: ‘Deze ziekte heeft mijn familie geteisterd en nu is het voor mij gekomen. En door het hele land zijn er mensen van alle verschillende leeftijden wier leven erdoor wordt beïnvloed – het is hartverscheurend.

‘Ik hoop alleen dat ik kan helpen een remedie te vinden die de dingen in de toekomst misschien beter maakt voor anderen.’

Het is duidelijk dat ze een potentieel revolutionaire proef ondergaat met een nieuw medicijn waarvan wordt gehoopt dat het de ziekte voor miljoenen mensen zal vertragen of zelfs omkeren.

De voormalige GMTV-host vertelde de Mirror, waarvoor ze regelmatig een column schrijft, dat ze niet had gedroomd dat ze de ziekte zou ervaren tot ze veel ouder was.

‘Het is iets waarvan ik dacht dat ik het op mijn tachtigste zou halen’, zegt ze. ‘Maar ik was nog maar 61 jaar oud.

‘Ik voelde me bozer dan iets anders omdat deze ziekte mijn leven al op zoveel manieren heeft beïnvloed; mijn arme moeder was er kreupel door, daarna mijn vader, mijn grootouders, mijn oom. Het blijft maar terugkomen voor ons.’

Ze voegde eraan toe dat het een ‘verschrikkelijk vreselijk’ geheim was om te delen.

Ze wordt momenteel ondersteund door haar man, TV’s This Morning-redacteur Martin Frizell, 64, met wie ze in 1997 trouwde. Hij zei: ‘Tragisch genoeg is Fiona’s familie ermee doorzeefd [Alzheimer’s].’

Ze zijn de ouders van Nat, 24, en Mackenzie, 21.

Het paar legde uit hoe mevrouw Phillips aanvankelijk het begin van ernstige angst zag, waarvan ze dacht dat het verband hield met de menopauze.

Maar nadat symptomen zoals hersenmist aanhielden ondanks het gebruik van HRT, ging ze voor verder onderzoek dat uiteindelijk eindigde in de diagnose Alzheimer.

Mevrouw Phillips beschreef het moment waarop ze de diagnose kreeg en zei dat het een ‘totale schok’ was, terwijl meneer Frizell zei dat hij ‘zich ziek voelde’. Het stel ging wat drinken in een nabijgelegen bar, waar ze nu stamgasten zijn.

Ze neemt nu deel aan een medicijnonderzoek, Miridesap, in het University College Hospital in Londen – maar aangezien de helft van de deelnemers een placebo krijgt, is het onmogelijk om te weten of ze het medicijn daadwerkelijk krijgt.

Haar man zei dat hij gelooft dat haar toestand ‘stabiliseert’, maar gaf toe dat dit ‘wishful thinking’ zou kunnen zijn.

Mevrouw Phillips heeft eerder gesproken over de dood van haar beide ouders aan de ziekte van Alzheimer.

Haar vader Neville stierf in februari 2012, terwijl haar moeder Amy in mei 2006 aan de ziekte stierf.

Mevrouw Phillips heeft zich vaak over de ziekte uitgesproken en campagne gevoerd voor Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Tijdens This Morning in 2016 vertelde ze hoe haar moeder op 53-jarige leeftijd vroege symptomen begon te krijgen, voordat ze uiteindelijk stierf op 74-jarige leeftijd.

Haar vader ontwikkelde symptomen toen hij in de zestig was en verhuisde naar een ‘bewaker-ondersteunde’ flat, voordat hij kort voor zijn dood op 76-jarige leeftijd werd overgebracht naar een psychiatrisch ziekenhuis.

Sprekend over het moment dat ze begon te beseffen dat haar moeder de aandoening had, zei ze: ‘Ik merkte dat mijn moeder alzheimer had met Kerstmis. Ze had het erg koud, er was geen eten in huis, ze zou de kerstboom in november hebben staan, dus dat was heel ongebruikelijk.’

Toen haar vader besefte wat er aan de hand was, besprak ze zijn verwoesting: ‘Papa was buiten zichzelf en we wisten niet dat hij het ook had. Bizarre cadeaus, mijn broer had een oranje damestrui.’

Toen zijn vader zes jaar later werd gediagnosticeerd, was dat nadat hij door de politie was opgepakt wegens ‘onregelmatig’ rijden.

Ze beschreef de impact op het gezin: ‘Je kunt niet genoeg doen, ik hou van mijn broer, maar er komt wrok binnen, gezinnen worden erdoor uit elkaar geblazen… Het kan iedereen overkomen – mijn moeder was pas in de vijftig.’

Mevrouw Phillips heeft eerder ook gesproken over haar angst dat ook zij de ziekte van Alzheimer zou krijgen.

Ze vertelde The Mirror: ‘Ik moet een actieplan uitwerken dat kan worden gebruikt als ik’ verdwijn ‘… Natuurlijk ben ik bang om de ziekte te erven met mijn familiegeschiedenis, en soms word ik ‘s nachts wakker met een angstig en bezorgd gevoel. over het.

‘Mijn ouders waren relatief jong toen ze het kregen; mijn moeder was begin vijftig, hoewel we het destijds gewoon toeschreven aan haar excentrieke karakter.’

Fiona sprak eerder over de achteruitgang van haar ouders en zei: ‘Het was hartverscheurend. Het einde is traag en onwaardig.’

En in 2019 schreef ze een openhartige column in dezelfde krant waarin ze haar schuldgevoelens en verdriet besprak.

Ze schreef: ‘Ik heb het gevoel dat ik nooit genoeg heb gedaan voor mijn vader en moeder. Ik kon het niet.’

Ze voegde eraan toe: ‘Je kunt nooit genoeg doen voor een dierbare met dementie. Het is een wrede ziekte zonder genezing, en de dagen hebben geen einde.

‘Ik zal nooit het gevoel hebben dat ik genoeg heb gedaan. Daarom barst ik vaak in tranen uit als mensen me vertellen hoeveel geluk mijn ouders hadden met mij. Het schuldgevoel gaat nooit weg.’

Mevrouw Phillips begon haar journalistieke carrière als verslaggever voor lokale radiostations zoals Radio Mercury un Sussex en County Sound in Surrey.

Haar grote doorbraak kwam toen ze in 1993 naar GMTV verhuisde als entertainmentcorrespondent, voordat ze in december van hetzelfde jaar werd gepromoveerd tot hun LA-correspondent.

Vervolgens leidde ze van 1997 tot 2008 de ontbijtshow en was ze elke maandag tot en met woensdag het belangrijkste anker.

Mevrouw Phillips kondigde in 2008 aan dat ze de show om familiale redenen zou verlaten en presenteerde haar laatste show in december.

Dit volgde op de dood van haar moeder en kwam nadat ook bij haar vader de ziekte was vastgesteld.

Na de dood van haar vader, de journalist onthulde dat ze ‘boos’ was achtergelaten door zijn zorgen noemde het zelfs ‘doodslag’.

Zijn snelle achteruitgang bracht haar ertoe zich af te vragen of de drugs hem jaren van zijn leven hebben gekost.

Ze zei: ‘Ik ben zo boos over de manier waarop mijn lieve, lieve vader uiteindelijk werd behandeld. In zijn laatste weken was hij zo gekweld door drugs dat zijn arme lichaam het niet aankon.

‘Ze beroofden hem van zijn lach, daarna van zijn glimlach, dat was alles wat hij nog had, en daar ben ik absoluut woedend over. Daarna beroofden ze hem van zijn leven.

‘Misschien ben ik egoïstisch omdat hij niet afhankelijk van anderen zou willen blijven.

‘Maar dat was geen beslissing die namens hem door het medische systeem moest worden genomen… Zonder die medicijnen had hij nog steeds gezond en gelukkig kunnen zijn, zelfs met dementie.’

De behandeling van dementie en de ziekte van Alzheimer is de afgelopen jaren verbeterd en mevrouw Phillips hoopt dat de proef waaraan ze deelneemt, diegenen zal helpen die in de komende jaren worden gediagnosticeerd.

Ondanks het afscheid nemen van haar reguliere slot op GMTV in 2008, is mevrouw Phillips sindsdien regelmatig op het netwerk verschenen, het meest bekend toen ze Lorraine presenteerde.

Ze is ook verschenen op Loose Women en rapporten voor de BBC’s Watchdog.

Ze schrijft al 20 jaar regelmatig een column voor de Daily Mirror en heeft eerder de ziektegeschiedenis van haar familie in de krant besproken.

Haar fans kennen haar ook omdat ze in 2005 op Strictly Come Dancing verscheen.

Bij het horen van het nieuws over de diagnose van mevrouw Phillips, zei Kate Lee, Chief Executive bij Alzheimer’s Society: ‘Onze gedachten zijn bij onze ambassadeur Fiona Phillips en haar familie na de aankondiging dat ze met dementie leeft.

‘Fiona heeft zich vaak uitgesproken over de ervaringen van haar ouders met dementie, en haar steun aan Alzheimer’s Society heeft een enorme impact gehad en wordt enorm gewaardeerd.

‘Het publiekelijk delen van dergelijk persoonlijk nieuws vergroot de broodnodige bewustwording van dementie en we zijn Fiona enorm dankbaar.

‘We zijn hier om via onze website onze steun aan te bieden aan Fiona en haar familie en aan iedereen die getroffen is door dementie alzheimers.org.uk en ondersteuningslijn voor dementie op 0333 150 3456.’

We all know eating more fruit and veg may help us lose a few pounds.

But improving your diet has another beneficial effect — it can give your brain a huge boost.

‘Our brain is complex, connected to every part of our body,’ says Professor Hana Burianova, a neuroscientist at Bournemouth University.

‘Evidence is beginning to shape our understanding of how just food is linked to brain health and this includes thinking, memory, improved cognitive function and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.’

Not only will a nutrient-dense diet, rich in brain-friendly vitamins and fats make our minds sharper today, it will help our grey matter function better as we age.

‘The Mediterranean diet has been shown to protect the brain with its high intake of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, extra virgin olive oil, lean meat and fresh fish,’ says Professor Burianova, who advises wellbeing and supplement brand Healthspan.

On the flipside, eating processed, salty, sugary and fatty foods will do the opposite to our brains. And smoking and drinking to excess both have extremely negative effects on the brain. 

‘Ultra-processed foods, those high in sugar, bad fats and other compounds, can have a negative impact on brain health,’ she says.

‘These foods include processed meats, savoury snacks, sugary foods and drinks, and some pre-packaged meals.

‘They are high in salt, which can increase blood pressure, and research shows high blood pressure in mid-life can increase your risk of developing dementia in later life, especially vascular dementia.

‘A high intake of refined sugars can promote inflammation and oxidative stress – an imbalance of free radicals to antioxidants in the blood – which can also damage brain cells.’

So what do we need to eat to better our brain health? 

Here Professor Burianova and registered nutritionist Rob Hobson share their guide to the food we need in our shopping cart – and the good habits that will help our brains function at their best.

SALMON, MACKEREL AND SARDINES

The nutrients: Omega-3 fatty acids

The original brain food. Oily fish – including salmon, mackerel, trout, sardines, herring and anchovies – are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which support blood flow to the brain, encouraging memory and reducing the risk of cognitive decline.

In fact, a large study of over 2,000 adults found eating fish twice a week appeared to reduce the risk of dementia by 44 per cent.

The most important omega-3 fatty acids are called EPA and DHA. ‘EPA is involved in the synthesis and activity of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, two feel good hormones, and EPA also has anti-inflammatory actions which may protect brain cells from degeneration’, says Mr Hobson.

However, if you don’t eat oily fish regularly, omega-3 fatty acids in the form of ALA are found in avocados, nuts, seeds and plant oils such as flaxseed and olive oil, or in supplement form.

‘However, the conversion of ALA to the usable forms in the body of EPA and DHA is poor, which is why vegans may struggle to get enough,’ says Mr Hobson.

EGGS, PULSES AND LEAFY GREENS

The nutrients: B vitamins

The family of eight B vitamins – known as the B complex – play a key role in brain health.

Found in foods including wholegrains, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, meat, fish, beans, pulses and lentils, all B vitamins have a role to play in supporting brain health, acting together to enable our brain cells to work more efficiently.

‘Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) contributes to normal mental performance, while vitamins B1, B3, B6, B12, biotin, and folate contribute to normal psychological function,’ says Mr Hobson.

‘These key vitamins are also needed for energy production in brain cells and to improve mood and clarity of thought.’

B vitamins also help to remove cell waste allowing cells to function at their best. If this waste is left it can form clumps that are toxic to the brain, he explains.

A number of vitamins and minerals contribute to a healthy nervous system and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

Low levels of certain nutrients within this group – including B6, B12 and folate (B9) – may affect how well the brain functions with ageing.

And there is some initial research suggesting that taking omega 3 in tandem with B vitamins may slow the progression of brain shrinkage in those exhibiting early Alzheimer’s symptoms.

Vegans can struggle to get enough B12 so should also focus on fortified foods such as nutritional yeast, plant-based drinks (nut, soy, coconut, oat) and cereals, or take a supplement.

SMART VITAMINS

The nutrients: Caffeine and gingko biloba

A new generation of brain-boosting substances and supplements called ‘nootropics’ that can help people solve problems faster and be more productive are currently gaining traction.

‘As well as improving your ability to learn and recall, a nootropic may also help you to think more clearly,’ says Mr Hobson.

‘They won’t turn you into a genius overnight, but they may help you become more productive and resilient to stress.’

Caffeine is considered a nootropic, as it increases alertness and the speed of performing difficult mental tasks, such as arithmetic, as well as reducing the perception of fatigue.

Ginkgo biloba, derived from the fan-shaped leaves of the ginkgo tree, is another one. 

It contains unique antioxidants which are thought to have neuroprotective effects, and there is some evidence that ginkgo can reduce the build-up of amyloid plaques which are linked to some forms of dementia.

Bacopa monnieri, which is also known as water hyssop, is packed with antioxidants which reduce inflammation, protect brain cells from damage, increase cerebral blood flow and boost the production of neurotransmitters.

Ashwagandha, which contains unique substances called withanolides, that improvises oxygen processing and energy production in the mitochondria, is another plant that has traditionally been used for its neuroprotective effects.

Healthspan’s new Love Your Brain supplements include B vitamins, omega-3 and Bacopa monnieri.

OLIVE OIL, BROCCOLI AND NUTS

The nutrient: Vitamin E

Ensuring you’re getting adequate amounts of vitamin E will help protect your body and brain from the ravages of free radicals.

Broccoli, spinach, seeds, nut butter, nuts and butternut squash, olive oil are all rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant that can help neutralise free radicals, which can damage cells and tissues.

You can also boost your intake of vitamin E by eating whole wheat, avocado, kiwi fruit, trout and prawns.

RED CABBAGE, CHERRIES, GRAPES

The nutrient: Flavonoids

Plants that have a deep, rich colour are packed with flavonoids – plant compounds – which also have a protective effect on the brain.

‘Flavonoids are thought to be beneficial because they help to boost blood flow to the brain. This, in turn, helps to deliver more oxygen and nutrients, such as glucose – the main energy source for neurons,’ says Mr Hobson.

‘Research shows how eating plenty of foods rich in these compounds may help improve memory and learning while also slowing down age-related memory loss.’

You can boost your intake by loading up on citrus fruits, berries, red and purple fruits and vegetables, broccoli, dark leafy greens and asparagus.

Other flavonoid-rich foods include dark chocolate, nuts, onions, ginger, green tea, celery, parsley, oregano and soy foods (including tofu, tempeh, miso and edamame).

MEAT, PULSES AND DRIED FRUIT

The nutrient: Iron

A lack of iron – anaemia – is linked with fatigue and tiredness, but it can also contribute to brain fog.

Some 27 per cent of women are lacking in iron. ‘Iron is essential to produce healthy red blood cells which carry oxygen and nutrients around the body. Aside from delivering oxygen, iron also helps with brain health,’ says Mr Hobson.

You can boost your intake of iron by eating meat, beans, pulses, lentils, dark green leafy vegetables, dried fruit and dried spices.

‘Iron absorption from plant-based foods can be increased by partnering them with a source of vitamin C while also avoiding tea with meals,’ he says.

WHOLEGRAINS

The nutrient: Fibre

Foods that your gut loves are also good for your brain – so start adding fibre to your daily diet.

Found in wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and dried fruit, fibre can nourish our beneficial gut bacteria, which in turn can improve our overall health and mood.

‘We’re starting to realise how important these microbes are because they can help us regulate gut-brain communication in a way that is beneficial for our brain and mental health,’ says Mr Hobson.

Aim to eat wholegrains (wheat, spelt, brown rice, barley, rye, oats, quinoa, buckwheat) with two of your three main meals, plus your five-a-day of fruit and veg. Snack on seeds, nuts and dried fruit to increase your fibre intake even more.

Probiotic supplements are also a useful way to add beneficial bacteria to the gut.

A few months ago, an old video clip of my dad Alan popped up on my phone. He was goofing around as usual, waving a rusty old saw in the air, and proudly showing me how he’d pruned a huge branch off the apple tree in our garden.

But shortly afterwards I filmed another video of dad. He’s sitting opposite me, happily chatting away, but he’s talking jibberish — and apart from a few snatches of familiar ‘dad’ phrases, he’s making no sense at all.

There’s ten years between those clips and although dad is clearly older and a bit thinner in the new clip, he’s not really my dad any more.

Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s six years ago, and the disease has taken hold fast. 

Not long ago he could still remember my name — after a little prompting and with evidently great satisfaction. But today when I call out ‘Dad?’ he doesn’t respond. He doesn’t even know who he is any more. It is so desperately sad.

When I did a post featuring those two videos on my Instagram account, it reached nearly 300,000 people. 

I was overwhelmed by the response and by messages from people, some of whom I know, but many I don’t, telling me they’re in the same boat, they share my pain, and offering very welcome words of compassion and support.

My sadness and frustration clearly resonated. It made me realise how many people are struggling to discuss their situation and I was comforted by the huge number of messages telling me that, by talking about it so openly, I was helping them a bit, too.

There are thousands of people living with the hell of watching their beloved parent disappear before their eyes. 

Dementia figures are rising and government statistics show that with people living longer and couples having children at an older age, a growing proportion of the UK population — equivalent to more than 1.3 million people — are finding themselves as ‘sandwich carers’ looking after older relatives and dependent children, like I am.

Alzheimer’s has been a nightmare for my dad, who is 76, my mum, Jenny, who is just 73, for me, 46, my brother Gareth, 45, and our families.

I admit, I felt very emotional when I read the recent news about a new Alzheimer’s drug called Donanemab that has been shown to slow cognitive decline by 35 per cent in clinical trials. 

It is sadly too late for my own dad, but hopefully this will help other families losing their loved ones bit by bit, like us.

Dad and I have always shared a special bond. There is a kind of sixth sense connection between us — we share a silly sense of humour, and we always knew what each other was thinking. 

He was always doing something daft, or naughty, and we would make each other laugh out loud.

He had such a wonderful mischievous streak. On family holidays he’d be the first to throw himself down the waterslides. 

I remember a New Year’s Eve party when I was quite little. Dad led a conga around and out of our house, straight to the neighbour’s house, where he knocked on the door, led the conga through their living room, before guiding everyone back to our house again.

Some of my most precious memories are the journeys we took together between our home on the Wirral and Newcastle where I was at university. It was much cherished father-and-daughter time for the two of us.

We shared a passion for music (dad always reckoned he should have been the lead singer in a band) and I would always turn to him for advice or reassurance, even as an adult.

Alzheimer’s was not expected. There’s no history of it in our family, and throughout his life, my dad was always extremely fit and healthy. He was a keen sportsman and loved playing golf and squash.

He played a lot of football in his youth, too, so I suppose it is possible that he joins the likes of Bobby Charlton and his late brother, Jack, whose dementia has been linked to a lifetime of heading a ball. 

Mum is convinced it came on because of the long anaesthesia from an operation in his 60s, but who really knows?

The first signs were subtle. A big family holiday in Norfolk about ten years ago with me, my brother, and all four grandchildren started badly because Dad had jumped in the car leaving his packed suitcase on the front doorstep.

He set off for the beach one morning in completely the wrong direction, and when Mum sent him to the local shop to buy a jar of mustard for the picnic sandwiches, he strolled back ten minutes later with a newspaper and a tube of toothpaste — no mustard. 

My brother and I exchanged puzzled glances, but we laughed it off.

A few months later, when Mum and Dad were staying with us, he popped out to get ketchup and came back with washing up liquid.

We tried to dismiss episodes as ‘senior moments’, but they were happening more regularly. 

He started putting household items away in random places — empty milk bottles in the mug cupboard, mugs in the fridge — and Mum came home one day to find he had diligently rearranged all the sofa cushions in neat piles on the floor.

For my 40th birthday (six years ago), my husband, James, took me to New York for a few days and Mum and Dad arrived to look after our son and daughter (then aged seven and four). 

It was Bonfire weekend and the children wanted to go to a fireworks display. But my daughter got cold so Dad offered to walk her back to the car park.

After 45 minutes of wandering around in the dark, he had to admit he couldn’t find the car and he had to ask a stranger to take them home.

The experience clearly upset him. It was the first thing he blurted out when he picked us up from the station on our return from the U.S. He kept saying: ‘I just don’t understand what’s going on!’

As the incidents mounted, we were finally able to persuade Mum to take Dad to the GP. 

He was asked the usual questions (Who is the prime minister? What’s your date of birth?), but it was clear Dad had no idea of the answers. He couldn’t even remember the names of his own parents. He was only 70.

Subsequent hospital tests confirmed a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and he was put on antidepressants, supposedly to slow the progression of the disease.

Getting a diagnosis did provide an element of relief, but it only marked the start of the real problems, and Dad’s condition deteriorated rapidly. There was no one to tell us what to do, we just had to muddle on.

Dad did initially understand that something was wrong, and whenever he struggled to find a word or complete a sentence, he’d say: ‘I’ve got this thing you know?’.

But in the space of a few months we had slipped from chatting and laughing easily together, to me having to second guess what he was thinking, or wanting to say, and then answering for him.

The sense of humour still remained: a friend whose mother was in a similar state referred to her condition as ‘the Al Simons disease’, so when things came unstuck, Dad would blame ‘Al Simons’.

My parents made the decision to sell the family home on the Wirral and move to Suffolk to be closer to my family for support, but packing up their home of 40 years must have been immensely stressful and his state deteriorated further.

His daily dog walks with Eddie, their Cairn terrier, became increasingly erratic. Sometimes he’d get lost, or he’d come back without Eddie. 

On other occasions he’d head out wearing his dressing gown, and one time the police picked him up walking along the central reservation of the A12.

It was heartbreaking to think that the police might believe my dad was just a local eccentric, not the witty intelligent man we adored. I couldn’t bear to think that anyone who didn’t know him would think less of him.

He’d been such a capable, handy man. As his name is Alan, our nickname for him had been ‘practic-Al’.

Now he couldn’t even work out how to make a cup of tea or put Weetabix into a bowl.

If it was hard for me, it was considerably tougher for Mum. She was very low and struggling to cope with Dad’s increasingly erratic behaviour. She was also grieving for the loving husband she was losing so fast.

After 50 years of marriage she believed it was her duty to care for Dad — but she felt guilty about asking for help.

My brother and I would take turns to stay with Dad so Mum could have the occasional break, but the situation was clearly exhausting her. She had to watch him like a hawk all day, and she wasn’t sleeping at night.

It turns out respite care is very hard to find, and we quickly realised that Dad’s condition was considered ‘too advanced’ for many care places to cope. 

Social services kept bouncing Mum from one department to another, and the whole issue of financing Dad’s care was so confusing — even the social worker told us they found it difficult to understand.

Everyone was very kind, but they were grossly overworked. Because Mum appeared to be coping, she dropped to the bottom of everyone’s list. No one really thinks about social care until they need it — we were the same.

Eventually, I got in contact with a financial adviser who deals in later-life finances and who helped us get Dad’s affairs organised.

The best piece of advice we were given was to dissolve Mum and Dad’s joint savings and current accounts, and to set up two separate ones instead — one for each of them. 

Dad’s pension and half of their savings would pay for his care, while Mum’s half would run the household.

But it was too late for us to sort medical power of attorney (we only had financial), or to have those really important conversations you need to have when someone is given a terminal diagnosis.

With dementia, that opportunity is taken away from you so rapidly. I grieve for the conversations with my dad that I haven’t had — and will never have.

Like many people with dementia, Dad kept wandering off: Mum caught him trying to climb over the garden fence and, on another occasion, squeezing himself through the living room window.

In a bid to keep him safe, Mum started locking the doors and taking the keys into the bathroom with her when she took a shower.

But, one time, he became so agitated and frustrated at being trapped in his own home and at his inability to communicate, that when she emerged from the bathroom he became aggressive.

This was absolutely not my dad.

By coincidence I called Mum minutes later and she picked up the phone, sobbing uncontrollably. (She later confessed that if I hadn’t called at that moment she wouldn’t have told me.)

I encouraged her to phone 111 and the police arrived to investigate what they assumed to be a ‘domestic incident’. It was quite surreal. 

By that stage Dad had completely forgotten what he had been agitated about and was enthusiastically shaking everyone’s hands.

That incident was the catalyst for social services to become involved, and for Mum to be offered the help she so desperately needed. I’m glad that happened, but I feel it is wrong that you have to reach crisis point before help can arrive.

Now Dad is ensconced in a nice care home and all the savings he worked so hard all his life to accumulate for his retirement and for adventures with Mum are being whittled away.

I’ve read that dementia runs for about ten years and goes through distinct stages. Dad is still active — he spends his days wandering along the corridors of the home — but soon he won’t be able to walk, sit or eventually swallow.

The people he meets now probably think he’s a doddery old man. It makes me want to scream: ‘If only you knew who he actually is!’ I know he’d hate every second of this existence. It’s a mercy that he doesn’t have a clue about anything that’s going on.

It is some comfort to me that my husband and our children knew Dad before Alzheimer’s took him away. 

The children are wonderfully affectionate with their grandpa, but when I’m with him and I mention their names, there’s no recognition on his face at all.

When I visit him, he will stare at me uncomprehending for a while, and then something will click and he’ll go: ‘Oooo!’ and come towards me for a big hug. 

It’s clear he doesn’t know who I am, but I am familiar and I think he understands a feeling of love.

He hasn’t gone altogether. Not yet. There are occasional flashes of the old dad in there — I’ll catch a cheeky eye movement, or a raised eyebrow if I fall back into our old Scouse accent — and I think, ‘Ah! There you are!’

I know I just have to make the most of that and hang on to my precious memories of how my lovely father used to be.

• As told to Louise Atkinson. Erica’s fee for this piece is being donated to Alzheimer’s Research.